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Benaiah almost giggles as Arimar begins to cast enlarge person on him.
"These bastards can fly too..." he shouts, moving up to the makeshift barrier that Malgrim has created.
This is not the first time they have used this tactic, and its usefulness against the mindless beasts they have fought cannot be understated.
Just a moment to get set, then I charge in...
In place behind the fragile sandstone wall, Benaiah pulls an extract from his bandolier and slurps it down. Suddenly his already mutated arms snap and pop, elongating to comic proportions.
Arimar steps a little to the side and calls out to Benaiah, "Don't go too fast, this spell takes a while to warm up..."
"Enlarge per..." Arimar begins on the slow, laborious spell.
Malgrim takes deep breaths allowing the rock leech into is veins and slaking the thirst he felt throughout the voyage. His skin turns ashen and hardens over and he becomes one with the cavern around him, drawing in the raw elemental energy that surrounds him.
Finally, maybe this snowball will be useful!
Caerador shifts to a position where, once the conjured wall crashes down, a icy, melon-sized ball will arc over the shoulder of the enlarged alchemist and smash into the flank of the drake.
"Archer's ready, Benaiah!!"
Though the codeword for Benaiah to know that the Arcanist is timing his spell to the Alchemist's charge has been uttered many times before, there is a rush of adrenaline in Caerador's shout.
While the Companions continue to cast and drink, the drake circles around the small cavern, passing by the earthen wall and sniffing before retreating towards the back of its lair. It stares malevolently at the entrance waiting for the intruders to enter its lair.
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Benaiah's arms dangle nearly to the floor, giving him the appearance of a demonic, violent ape. He tingles in anticipation, both of the high he gets when he allows the haze to overcome him, and simply the rush of battle.
Let me out child! Let me out of this cage! The voice inside his head screams in eager anticipation.
"...son!" Arimar finishes chanting at last. A bolt of arcane energy, or so he hopes it appears...
... strikes Benaiah and causes him to grow to twice his height, width and depth... and eight times his mass!
"Don't bunch up!" Arimar cries, frustrated as his companions all pile in together around the wall. He decides to cast a water walking spell to allow the ranged companions to move back while still keeping the beast in their sights.
Arimar wades out into the water and prays,
"Commmunal Water Walk"
Instantly, he is popped up out of the waist-high shallows and touches his friends to complete the spell, making it appear almost like an arcane spell, but anyone who knows enough will know that the only way to get folks to walk on water is through clerical means.
Malgrim waits patiently, watching as the familiar Enlargement of Benaiah overtakes the human. When it appears the spell has settled, he gives a negligent flick of his hand to shatter the barrier, then rushes through the opening he has made.
Readying an Action
You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.
You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.
Seeing his magics roll into Benaiah and the Hellknight whelp grow to a massive size Arimar once again calls upon the power of his evil mistress, disguising it as inane arcane power. The Companions find that they can now walk on the surface of the water increasing their ability to maneuver around the battlefield.
Malgrim destroys the earthen barrier that he has erected moments before rushing into the lair of the drake.
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Unable to charge, first having to squeeze through the narrow opening with his larger size, Benaiah's initial progress towards the drake is painfully slow. Finally he gets his feet underneath him and his awkwardly long arms are free in the smallish cavern.
He lets out a grunt as he finally releases the haze in his blood, and he can feel the rush of adrenaline course through him, swelling his size and muscles even farther.
Without hesitation, he whips his arms around, trying to cut the drake from the sky.
Delay
By choosing to delay, you take no action and then act normally on whatever initiative count you decide to act. When you delay, you voluntarily reduce your own initiative result for the rest of the combat. When your new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, you can act normally. You can specify this new initiative result or just wait until some time later in the round and act then, thus fixing your new initiative count at that point.
You never get back the time you spend waiting to see what's going to happen. You also can't interrupt anyone else's action (as you can with a readied action).
Initiative Consequences of DelayingYour initiative result becomes the count on which you took the delayed action. If you come to your next action and have not yet performed an action, you don't get to take a delayed action (though you can delay again).
If you take a delayed action in the next round, before your regular turn comes up, your initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and you do not get your regular action that round.
Unable to charge, first having to squeeze through the narrow opening with his larger size, Benaiah's initial progress towards the drake is painfully slow. Finally he gets his feet underneath him and his awkwardly long arms are free in the smallish cavern.
He lets out a grunt as he finally releases the haze in his blood, and he can feel the rush of adrenaline course through him, swelling his size and muscles even farther.
Without hesitation, he whips his arms around, trying to cut the drake from the sky.
** spoiler omitted **
Finally, maybe this snowball will be useful!
Caerador shifts to a position where, once the conjured wall crashes down, a icy, melon-sized ball will arc over the shoulder of the enlarged alchemist and smash into the flank of the drake.
"Archer's ready, Benaiah!!"
Though the codeword for Benaiah to know that the Arcanist is timing his spell to the Alchemist's charge has been uttered many times before, there is a rush of adrenaline in Caerador's shout.
[dice=Snowball; Ranged Touch,Point Blank Range]1d20 + 4
[dice=Damage; +1CL Arcanist Pool, Volatile Conduit]5d6 + 1d4
Round 1:
Malgrim - wall
Drakes flies around
Benaiah - mutagen (longarm)
Arimar - started to cast Enlarge Person
Caerador - delay
Round 2:
Malgrim - DR
Drake flies around (delays)
Benaiah - Delay
Arimar - finishes casting; cast Communal Water Walk
Caerador - Delay
Round 3:
Malgrim Breaks Wall
<Readied Action goes off>
Drake attacks - Ball Lightening Breath
Malgrim moves into room
Benaiah comes out of delay - Rage & Attack
Caerador comes out of delay - casts Snowball
Arimar - your turn
As the geokineticist destroys its own creations, the Drake lets out a bestial howl. Sucking air from all around it, it inhales filling it's chest to capacity. It opens its mouth wide and a ball of cackling lightning rolls towards the hobgoblin.
The deft hobgoblin is able to turn at the last moment to avoid most of the damage. His hardened skin also serves to insulate him from the electricity.
The ball arcs to the next target, the overly large Chelixian. He can feel all his hairs stand on end as the ball of lightning strikes him solidly in the arm. It enters around his shoulder and travels down his arm only to speed out his hand before rocketing towards his comrade, Arimar.
The necromancer is unlucky to have the ball enter his chest and exit out his back, leaving a blackened patch on his left breast. Only his celestial blood dampens the full effects of the drake's breath weapon.
Finally the ball heads towards the morose elf. Used to dodging objects of all varieties thrown at him, he is able to ward off the brunt of the electrical effects before it peters out.
The Hellknight whelp, still sore from the ball of lightning, rushes into the room and swings his scythe at the flying drake.
His scythe digs a deep furrow into the Drake's side, splattering drake scales and blood droplets all over the chamber.
The arcanist follows up the Chelexian's charge by magically creating a ball of icy snow. His aim is off and the snowball impacts the cavern wall behind the combatants.
With a smoking chest, Arimar considers his options, along with how quickly he might be able to retrieve Raim and Fido. "No, they are left to guard... I went so long in Absalom without them, I can do it now."
"Ray of sickening," Arimar chants, directing a bolt of putrid green filth straight for the creature who just electrified him.
The arcane magics fail to penetrate the drakes hide and it gives the aasimar and evil glance before turning its attention to the large Chelaxian in front of him.
[ooc]Combat Table - Round 4
Malgrim winces from the electricity, glaring at the flying beast as he strides forward, pressing his hand against the cavern wall and letting his fingers trail against the stone surface. As he walks, he lets the deep echo of the cavern resound within him, drawing in its strength, lighting his blood on fire with gravel and causing each step to resound with a explosion of dust. Then with a sudden shout he draws forth a missle of stone the size of his head, and hurls it at the annoying drake!
The flying stone strikes the drake in the wing, causing it to flutter and drop in height. It lets out a howl of pain staring at the hobgoblin.
In the blink of an eye, it looks left and right, hoping to find an exit from these terrible people.
Seeing no possible way to escape, it turns its full attention to the overly-large human in front of it that had hurt it so badly with its metal weapon.
Opening it mouth wide, saliva drooling around the needle sharp fangs that line its mouth, it bites out at Benaiah
Not content with chewing on the man, its tail come whipping around trying to knock him in the head.
Luckily for the man, the tail is unable to penetrate his armored defenses.
"Just quickly, I'll see if it will surrender," shouts Arimar to his companions.
"الاستسلام، ونحن سوف يكون رحيما. نحن لا نسعى إلى الحرب، والمرور إلا من خلال هذا المكان ... ومأوى من العاصفة," Arimar's voice is more a series of drones and whistles than anything else. Despite this, it is only the humanoid approximation of draconic and not the true language. Still, if this creature was dragonkin, it would understand. Roughly translated, Arimar said: "Capitulate, and we will be merciful. We did not seek a fight, only passage through this place... and shelter from the storm."
The sea drake peers towards the entrance to its cavern, looking for who speaks in its native tongue. Seeing the man walking on water, knowing this is unnatural, its animal instincts take over.
"البقاء الأسلحة." "Stay your weapons."
"قد تمر، ولكن إذا كنت كسر هذا التعهد، وأنا سوف يحرق لكم جميعا لهش." "You may pass, but if you break this pledge, I will burn you all to crisp."
The drake retreats to a far corner and begins to lick it's wounds.
Malgrim lowers his empty hands palms up and nods to the retreating drake.
Not knowing (or particularly caring) if the drake can understand him, he addresses the wyrm. "I am glad that we were able to resolve this matter peacefully and I apologize for intruding into your territory."
[ooc]Maintain Elemental defense, Burn Nonlethal is in effect until I rest.
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Kill it! End the pitiful creature and affirm your strength! The voice inside Benaiah's head implores him.
"grrrnnnnnNO!" he shouts back in defiance. The intoxicating rush of the haze that cloud his mind fades almost instantly, bringing him to his knees with exhaustion.
"I'm OK! I'm fine..." he says between gulps of air. In a few seconds, his disposition matches his claim, other than the large scorch marks on his arms, neck and face.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"You are in no position to make threats, weakling," Arimar hisses, and so the dragon is sure to understand, he adds it in draconic, too, "كنت في موقف لا يسمح لجعل التهديدات، طرطور."
"Lead the way when you are ready, Benaiah..."
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Once the healing has closed the big man's wounds, he grunts, indicating he is ready.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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As he waits for the rest of his crew to be ready, Benaiah takes a moment to swallow his shield extract.
Might as well be ready for anything...
While it is invaluable in a fight, Benaiah's large size appears to be a detriment at the moment. He peers down the corridor now that the drake is willing to stay out of their way, and doesn't like the prospects of fitting through it, comfortably.
"I guess I'd better just get to the other side as quick as I can. You boys might have some trouble squeezing in next to me though."
With a sigh of resignation, Benaiah lowers a shoulder and begins pushing into the narrow cavern, plate armor screeching and groaning on the rocks the whole way.
The conflict with the drake over, the Companions pull out various curative wands and begin to heal from their short, but brutal fight. The drake gives them a sullen look and flies out of the cavern entrance, circles high around Mistress Lanvi, her handmaiden, and Arimar's undead minions before flying into the storm. Lightening cracks briefly, hyper-illuminating the harbor before a loud peal of thunder shakes the rocks they stand on.
Mistress Lanvi give the companions a glare as if to say Really?
Pressing on before the magical enhancements can run out, Benaiah forgoes stealth for speed, caution for immediacy, and begins to scrape himself down the cavern hallways. The loud screech can be heard loudly and clearly if this was an inhabited cavern.
Luckily for the man, he springs no traps, and encounters no obstacles. He emerges into an hourglass shaped chamber devoid of any immediate threats. The path continues to the south terminating at a beachhead where the companions can still see the storm raging. There is another passage way to the east before the chamber reaches its midpoint. Various small wildlife scurry about the cavern floor and walls, and the companions spy the remnants of human activity. Nothing seems valuable or important until Caerador looks for magical enhancements by casting Detect Magic.
What seems like an ordinary discarded feather glows with a soft light. Briefly examining the feather, he can tell that is actually a Swan Boat Feather Token.
Benaiah can tell that many of the discarded items seem to be left by the easternmost passage.
Malgrim requests the use of a Wand of Infernal Healing charge. He grimaces as the unholy energy runs through his body healing damage wrought by the drake's breath, though giving little heed to the moral quandry of using patently evil sources of healing.
"That could have been much worse, though we should prepare for whatever lies ahead."
Malgrim cautiously ventures towards the eastern passage, eyes alert for traps or treachery. Stealth seems to be a moot point given the overly Enlarged Benaiah.
He looks to his companions and whispers quietly "Beware. It is unlikely that such objects came here naturally; be ready for pilfering inhabitants..."
"Well found, Caerador," Arimar nods appreciatively at the feather token, "That should actually come in handy in our current predicament... if anything unforeseen happens, of course."
The necromancer then inspects the objects more closely and turns to the eastern cavern. "Think you can squeeze through there, Benaiah?"
As the Companions walk into the next chamber there is a shallow pool of water in the middle of the cavern surrounded by small piles of bones. The small of rancid meat and excrement permeates the air. A handful of small stalagmites reach from the ceiling over the pool, slowly dripping water. The rhythmic "Plink, plink." seems soothing to the companions.
As they approach the pool, and peer into its depths, Malgrim notices that there seems to be orb shaped floating objects in there. Kneeling down and studying the slowly pivoting orbs, one begins to spin towards them so that they can clearly discern features on the orb. They see what used to be a nose, now just a odd lump of decayed flesh. They see what used to be a pair of eyes, now just two gouged out, hollow depths. They see what used to be a mouth, now an open expanse frozen in a silent scream. As the head rolls to face them, all the other orbs shift quickly so that they are now all facing the Companions.
Though all are prepared for trouble, Arimar is the only companion that has the where-with-all to act.
[ooc]Combat Table - Round Surprise Round
Quick as a flash, Arimar's wand of cure light wounds is in his hand, sprung forth from his handy wrist-sheath. He quickly chants out command words, not bothering to disguise it as arcane - after all, wizards can use magical devices also - and presses down upon the pool's surface.
"Not sure if that will work, but if any of you can deal positive energy damage..." Arimar begins, "Now would be the time to do so!"
Arimar, student of the undead, is quick to realize what is happening and knows how to effectively deal with these threats. The positive energy emanated by the wand does indeed harm the haunt, but not enough to fully disable it before it fully manifests.
Malgrim the Trapfinder, first into the room and first to look upon the horrors under the water, tries to resist the supernatural pull.
Not far behind, the large man Benaiah also states into the pool's depths.
Malgrim sees the pool begin to swirl in a clockwise direction, accelerating as he stares at it. The pattern takes on a hypnotic pattern and he slowly begins to loose his ability to formulate coherent thoughts. He sees the cadaverous skulls float lazily through the pool. He looks to Benaiah and thinks how dismissive the man has been to him. Always overbearing and brutish. And Arimar, the condescension, the temper getting them into one mess after another. And Caerador. Who knew what the brooding elf thought.
And all that business with One-Footed Dave. They just watched him for days before finally saying something. Friends. More like acquaintances, no more like enemies
The strangely hypnotic pool pulls at Malgrim, muddling his thoughts. He gives a quiet whisper of, "No, this is wrong..." before succumbing to their sway.
With a fierce snarl, he clutches down to the ground, taking in more of the burning gravel into his veins, before swinging up a piercing glade of sharpened rock at his former companion, shouting "You leave me no choice! You have brought this upon us with your hedonism!"
A small detached portion of his mind can only bear witness to his actions and sigh. Water. It had to be water. After this trip, I think I would prefer dying of thirst in the desert.